K. M. University, India Christianity in the Land of Santhals: a study of Resistance and Acceptance in Historical Perspective(03U)

Yasutake, Rumi

Konan Univercity, Japan

Generating Women's Social Activism in Meiji Japan: American Protestant Churchwomen and Their Japanese Proteges(04G)

This paper examines the effect that American churchwomen's activism in the evangelical tradition had on Japanese gender relationships in Meiji Japan. Focusing on the experiences of Japanese men, as well as Japanese women proteges of Anglo-American missionary women in such organizations as the Japan branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (Nihon Kirisutokyo Fujin Kyofukai), my paper studies how American churchwomen's activism in Japan led to the formation of middle-class Japanese churchwomen's organizations and how it affected their organizational vision and strategy in their attempt to advance women's status in the male-dominant gender hierarchy in Japan and the world. This paper also scrutinizes the relationship between American churchwomen and Japanese men in Japan.

Organized panel, English
Yauchi, Yoshiaki

Wsaseda University, Japan

Anselm of Canterbury and the Spirit of Rational Tolerance(05N)

In his Cur Deus Homo (Why God Became Man), Anselm of Canterbury intends to demonstrate the necessity of the Incarnation for man's salvation by reason alone. This work is constructed as a dialogue between Anselm and his friend and pupil Boso, with Boso serving as the mouthpiece of the so-called infideles (unbelievers). Some scholars have claimed that the infideles should be identified with Jews and possibly even Muslims. Others have claimed that the infideles are simply figures of literary fiction. The solution to the problem is not clear. However, it is true that Anselm employs reason in his attempt to understand his faith and to provide demonstrations which would satisfy not only Jews, but even pagans. I would argue that we can see in the Cur Deus Homo a spirit of rational tolerance.

Organized panel, Japanese
Yavuz, Sevket

Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University (Ilahiyat Fakultesi), Turkey

The Sacred Canopy: Text, Episteme and Cipher of Cultural Identity & Otherization Phenomena(16R)

If the historicity of the "word" is the historicity of being, becoming, and existence, then the "sacred canopy", I.e. sacred text, creates and appropriates the very epistemic and ontological modalities of human existence in history. The text becomes an ambulatory phenomenon by and through hermeneutical attempts and in turn the exegetical practice make the text alive in a cyclical manner. At this juncture, the problem of power-knowledge-creed comes to the fore. In this ambulatory phenomenon, the scope and domains of knowledge-creed is consciously and/or unconsciously wrapped up with and, in general by, the agendas of power (especially politico-economic). This ambulatory entity in the end re/produces an epistême in a certain spatio-temporal experience, an epistême that perpetuates (a) the extant status quo of the interpreting subject, which is called proto-case; (b) the mood or mentality of the discoursing subject, which is named proto-type appropriated via archetypes in history; (c) the course of the event in which the historical subject is embedded, namely, proto-episode; and (d) the glossing over the connection between the power-knowledge-creed, which can be phrased as "embedded creed". With these four characteristics of the epistême, the cultural identity and character of the subject are ciphered. The more authoritarian and totalitarian the epistême (text and its interpretation is wrought within, for example, wars, power struggles, etc.), the less democratic and human-rights-centric the subject is; or vice versa. Thence, the aim and main gist of this study lies here: in order to live perpetually and peacefully in our hoary planet, and not "to force God's hand to perdition" as expressed in the theological-political discourses of the "Armageddonists" and of the Jihâdists, humanity needs a reconstruction of an epistême of love and mutuality re/produced by perennial wisdoms of Abrahamic tradition, Buddhist dharmas, etc. through universal fraternity (ukhuwwah khalqî) of all human beings.

Organized panel, English
Yayama, Kumiko

Toho University, Japan

Music and Religion in the Middle East: The Ambiguity of Boundaries between the Sacred and the Secular in the Usage of Melodies, Texts, and Musical Conceptions(14U)

Reciprocal threads connect music and religion in human cultures around the world. Various aspects of this mutual influence have left their mark on the musical cultures of Muslims, Christians and Jews in the Middle East. On the subject of singing and music making in the socio-religious setting, the issue of distinguishing sacred music from secular music has been a crucial issue in Jewish thought. However, there is no clear-cut division between the religious and the secular in the musical activities of Middle Eastern Jewish communities, wherein the use of secular melodies on ritual occasions is one of the most outstanding musical phenomena. In this panel we will illustrate the ambiguity of the boundary between the sacred and the secular as appears in the musical cultures of Syria, Iran, and Israel. In addition, we will discuss secular/religious music as a symbol of the nation and as a way to build ethnic identities.

Organized panel, * Session Abstract, English
Yeung, Anne Birgitta

University of Helsinki, Finland

Social Engagement and Religion in Scandinavian Perspective(02I)

The Scandinavian countries with the Evangelical Lutheran national churches present intriguing case studies for an exploration of the roles of religion and churches in late modern societies. Church membership rates are very high in the Nordic countries, but most citizens are passive members. However, the question of the influence of the churches at the social and individual level is far more intricate. The Lutheran churches have always played a central role in the provision of welfare, and in the construction of societal values and national identity. They have a very high number of paid staff and provide services ranging from religious services to food banks and to highly popular confirmation school camps for the youth. In my presentation I will argue that certain central elements of the churches' roles are currently far from declining. For example, the extent and societal visibility of the social work of the churches has greatly increased in Finland since the 1990s.

Organized panel, English
Yi, Chan Su

Kangnam University, Korea

The Hermeneutics of Religious Experience: Daesoon Thought in the Light of Schillebeeckx's Theological Hermeneutics(05D)

This article examines the process of how Daesoon thought keeps its own identity while being practiced as a religion in Korean culture through the perspective of theological hermeneutics of E. Schillebeeckx, a representative theologian in 20th century, especially on the centering of the matter of experience. Conclusively, a religion takes place, is formed, only when it is understood anew by the people who live in that cultural tradition through their languages. It is in this sense that Daesoon thought has thrived in Korea, where its co-existence with the core of traditional Korean culture has led to the transformation of both. More importantly, it is in their openness to each other and to the world that Daesoon thought can maintain its own identity as Daesoon thought, and Korean culture its own identity as Korean culture, avoiding falling into the tertiary which is neither Daesoon thought nor Korean culture.

Organized panel, English
Yi, Yong Bhum

The Korea Institute for Religion and Culture, Korea

The Academic Knowledge of Folk Beliefs in Modern Korea(16L)

This article aims at a wholistic understanding of the academic knowledge of folk beliefs in modern Korea. To put it concretely, this article intends to clarify the sociocultural factors and context, the nature and structure, and the social position of that knowledge. For this purpose this article will do three next works. First, this article examines various results of modern academic studies on Korean folk beliefs. The classification of these studies, the analysis of their mutual relation , and the clarification of their internal structure are the main points of the first work. Secondly, through the examination of various Korean religions and mass media's discourses on Korean folk beliefs this article tries to disclose the social position of the academic knowledge of Korean folk beliefs. Thirdly, this article makes clear the sociocultural factors and context of that knowledge. This is to connect it with the historical process, entire knowledge system in modern Korea.

Symposium, English
Yoeli-Tlalim, Ronit

School of Oriental and African Studeis, UK

Discourses on War and Violence in Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism(06R)

This panel will look at the ways texts from the Jaina, Buddhist and Hindu traditions which deal with statecraft, war and violence have been addressed in contemporary contexts. Emphasizing the role of interpretation, our panel will focus on the following questions: which arguments are used to legitimise/ de-legitimise violence and war? How are contradictions between ancient texts and the modern contexts addressed? How are religious and political spheres demarcated in these discourses?

Organized panel, * Session Abstract, English
Yoeli-Tlalim, Ronit

School of Oriental and African Studeis, UK

Kalacakra tantra: Great War or World Peace?(06R)

The myth of a future great war, at the time of the 25th Kalki of Shambhala, with the eventual defeat of all barbarians and the spread of Kālacakra teachings, has been widely disseminated both in Tibet and Mongolia. This myth has been used to various political ends, emphasizing the external descriptions found in the first chapter of the Kālacakratantra and Vimalaprbhā, whilst ignoring the inner interpretation of the war found in the second chapter. Although it constitutes a major part of the Kālacakra tantra and its commentaries, the 14th Dalai Lama tends not to mention the future great war in his Kālacakra teachings. Furthermore, the Dalai Lama has also been stressing the connection between peace and Kālacakra so far as to name Kālacakra initiations in the last years as: "Kalachakra for World Peace". This paper discusses the Dalai Lama's interpretative engagement with this text as both religious and political statements.

Organized panel
Yokomichi, Makoto

Kyoto University, Japan

Robert Musil's "New Man"(07U)

The purpose of this presentation is to investigate how Robert Musil arrived at his idea of the "New Man" under the influence of Ernst Mach and the Machists. Around the turn of the twentieth century, the ideas of "cosmism" and "vitalism" attracted the attention of people in the German speaking world. At that time, the scientist and historian of science Ernst Mach developed a unique but radical criticism of experience, and had a tremendous impact on contemporary intellectuals and artists. Among them was Robert Musil. In his university dissertation, Musil thoroughly studied Mach's "element-theory," which denies all transcendence and metaphysics. Musil furthermore explored this theory in one of his novels, The Man Without Qualities, by drawing on Hermann Bahr's "nerve art" and Gestalt theory. Musil thus crafted Mach's theory into his own moral science, searching for a way to transform himself into a divine "New Man."

Organized panel, Japanese
Yokosaka, Yasuhiko

Niigata University, Japan

Christian Hymnody and Peace(11S)

The concept of peace reflected in Japanese hymns has had a complicated history. The hymns on the theme of peace in the hymnals edited by interdenominational committees before the appearance of "The Hymnal 21" were influenced by the Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the reign of the Emperor among other events. The use of Yamatokotoba, the literary form of the Japanese language, was also part of the reason for the complex history of hymns dealing with peace. This panel will first attempt to disclose this history by taking a closer look at "The Hymnal" of 1903. Then, it will focus on "The Hymnal 21" (1997) of the United Church of Christ in Japan, one of the most significant hymnals in the history of Japanese hymnody. Current trends of hymnody in the English language, including the Hymn Explosion, and of German hymnody are considered in this discussion. By examining these examples, this panel offers an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between Christian hymnody and peace in current hymn writing.

Symposium, * Session Abstract, Japanese
Yokosaka, Yasuhiko

Niigata University, Japan

Current Trends in English-Language Christian Hymns: Seeking New Criteria for Survival(14S)

Looking through the American hymnals of various denominations edited after the 1980s, one will find many hymns in the contemporary repertoire originating in the so-called "Hymn Explosion" and other movements of hymn writing. Compared to the increase in these new hymns, the decrease in hymns dating back to the period from Isaac Watts to the end of the 19th century is greater than ever. This study is an attempt to clarify the reasoning behind the selection of hymns and to elucidate what criteria are used in the process of publication. This presentation will do so by comparing the basic English language hymn repertoire found in The Hymnal 1982 of the American Episcopal Church with the repertoires of seven other American post-Hymnal 1982 hymnals from different denominations.

Organized panel, English
Yokosaka, Yasuhiko

Niigata University, Japan

Religion and Art(14S)

Various forms of art are heavily influenced by religious practice. This relationship has been discussed by many people in many different aspects. In this panel, four individual presentations deal with this topic: 1) a study on the protestant theologian Paul Tilllich's religious thought and expressionistic art; 2) a study on ambiguity of the criteria applied to religious paintings in the "Conference" of the Academie royale de peinture et de sculpture in Paris in the 17th century; 3) an attempt to find new criteria in judging what Christian hymns in the English language will survive in the 21st century; 4) exploring the communicative, propagandistic, and interactive power of music through its "discoursive" capacity by observing Gypsy Pentecostal movements in Portugal (The Philadelphia Church).

Organized panel, * Session Abstract, English
Yokota, Michihiro

The University of Electro-Communications, Japan

Three Problematic Issues in the Calvinistic Ethos as Pointed out by Max Weber(05V)

In this presentation I would like to suggest a new way of interpreting Max Weber's comparative sociology of religions. Traditional interpretations of Weber's sociology of religions have stressed the affinity between Weber's theories and modernization theory, which has recently become the target of critical reconsideration. With regard to modernization, Weber himself actually took a rather critical stance as he pointed out several problematic issues found in the ethos of Calvinism and Puritanism. Although they were not able to develop a capitalist ethos themselves, Weber's inquiries into non-Western traditions provided him with a critical perspective on Calvinist thought. Through the study of non-Western traditions, Weber discovered ideas of positive significance, and in this way acquired a perspective from which he was able to re-consider and comparatively evaluate the ethos of the modern West.

Organized panel, English
Yokote, Yutaka

University of Tokyo, Japan

Aspects of the Doctrine of "nature" in Daoism -from Tang to Song -(10H)

The arguments about the true nature of the human being using the concept of "nature" appeared since ancient times, and in many cases, this concept has often appeared as being problematic in the history of Confucianism. References to the term "nature" also appeared in early Daoism, and after the rise of Buddhism, discussion about "Buddha-nature" came to prominence. Thus, ideas about "nature" in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism began to mix. What was the story behind the idea of "nature" in Daoism in such a process? Here I want to give an elementary study of the change in the doctrine of "nature" in Daoism from Tang to Song, considering the relationship between the "Buddha-nature" doctrine and the large stream of Taoist thought.

Organized panel, English
Yonei, Teruyoshi

Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan

The History of Research of 'Goryo' Beliefs(13P)

According to the Japanese belief in "goryo," some spirits of the dead can become vengeful entities and do harm to society in vengeance for injustice suffered. These spirits must be placated by religious means. The history of researching this particular belief can be divided into three main stages. The first stage comprises the period preceding the Second World War. During this stage, goryo beliefs were mainly analyzed by the folklorists Yanagida Kunio and Origuchi Shinobu. The second period started in the 1950s. In this period, historians began to pay attention to the phenomenon of goryo beliefs. In their work, they elucidated the social situation and historical background of the period in which belief in goryo was formed. The third stage started somewhere between the 1970s and the 1980s. During this period, the concept of goryo left the fold of specialist academic knowledge and became widely known among the general population as well. It became increasingly recognized that belief in goryo was a fundamental aspect of Japanese culture, found in literature, the arts and other fields. However, in my view, in order to give a comprehensive picture of these beliefs, a religious studies-based viewpoint is required.

Organized panel, English
Yoo, Heun Woo

Dongguk University, Korea

The Basic Object in Philosophy and Religion(05D)

The eastern philosophers proposed to define death as the nonduality of life and death. Taoists, for example, do not believe in the Wheel of Life of the Buddhists nor in the Heaven or Hell of Christianity. Taoists view existence as glorious. The whole Universe, they teach, is a marvelous, vibrant Unity wherein everything, visible and invisible, pulses with energy and changes. As being develops through the experience of existence, its vessels are swept onwards by the mighty stream of the eternal TAO to other forms of expression and activity. Man does not die; he merely extends into new fields. Taoists teach that the end of a person is the return to the Ultimate Reality. "Life is uncertain - Death is certain": This is a well-known saying in Buddhism. Knowing very well that death is certain and it is a natural phenomenon that everyone has to face, we should not be afraid of death. Yet, instinctively, all of us fear death because we do not know how to think of its inevitability. We like to cling to our life and body and so develop too much craving and attachment.

Organized panel, English
Yoon, Suk San

Hanyang University, Korea

The Foundation and Fundamental Theology of Chondokyo(12D)

This paper concerns the foundation of Dong-Hak, a religion that originated in Korea. A number of researchers have sought to explain the background and origin of Dong-Hak in terms of the political, economical, and social situations of the late Yi Danasty. Unlike these studies, this paper aims to explore the matter from a broader perspective, and claims that, in addition to the social situation of the late Yi Dinasty, the endeavor to find an alternative to the inconsistency and crisis of the current times, and, ultimately, to find a new order in the chaotic universe on the cosmic level all contributed to the foundation of Dong-Hak. This paper will expand the discussion into the philosophical domain, and consider the significance of Dong-Hak in the present society.

Organized panel, English
Yorizumi, Mitsuko

Ochanomizu University, Japan

Ａ Study of a Position of Ethics in Japanese Mahayana Buddhism(07G)

I will announce about positioning of ethics in Mahayana Buddhism in Japan based on the result obtained from my research of Japanese Buddhism including Dogen and so on. First I want to make reference a little about the problem of religion and ethics as an introduction for it. Generally speaking, ethics is the rules how men should act, in human relations or in society. In various cultures, religion serves as an ethical formation base traditionally. Being conscious or not, people have regulated their act based on a religious idea for a long time. However, ethics does not always have a relation of harmony with religion. In the first place religion is teachings to aim at the value that transcends this world. That is why both Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha emphasized that people could not enter the religious world unless they did not deny human relations like a family and so on. In other words religion has two contrasting sides, one is harmonious with ethics and another is antagonistic. In this announcement I want to clarify how two sides appear in Japanese Mahayana Buddhism.

Organized panel, Japanese
York, Michael

Bath Spa University, England

Contemporary Spiritual Cultures in the UK(04B)

Present-day religiosity in the United Kingdom conforms to the increasing Western emphasis on spirituality over religion. This paper explores the significance of this shift in terms of New Religious Movements, the contemporary growth of evangelical Christianity and such amorphous movements as New Age, Goddess Spirituality and contemporary Western paganism. More broadly, the framework to be used for understanding and analysing the various forms of spirituality in this paper are the theological ideal types of Abrahamic, dharmic, secular and pagan.

Symposium
York, Michael

Bath Spa University, England

The New Age and Contemporary Pagan Movements in Britain(06M)

Organized panel, English

Yoshida, Atsuhiko

Gakushuin University, Japan

Points of View on Comparative Mythology(17B)

There are numerous conspicuous resemblances between Japanese mythology, on the one hand, and on the other, the mythology of Indo-European society, the original structure and contents of which were elucidated in detail by the vast comparative studies of the late, great scholar Georges Dumezil, who made it clear, above all, that the aforesaid mythology had been composed on the basis of a particular world-view, which he proposed to call "the Indo-European trifunctional system." These resemblances seem to result manifestly from a strong influence of Scythian myths, that reached Japan via the Korean Peninsula. As a consequence of this transmission of myth from the West to East, effected by the Scythians, the mythologies of the Far Eastern part of Eurasia, Japan and Korea, have some noticeable similarities even to Germanic and Celtic myths, preserved in Iceland and Ireland, that is to say, in the Far Western areas of the same continent.

Symposium, Japanese
Yoshida, Hiroaki

Taisho University, Japan

Reconstruction of Mahayana Views of Humans(07G)

In the fundamental Buddhist view, the Buddha was the one completely liberated from samsara (cycle of life and death) of ordinary beings. Thus human beings are viewed as a form of beings in the Six Paths. In this view, all beings including human beings are equal as repeating birth, aging, illness and death (samsara) and in contrast to the Buddha beyond samsara. As the Buddha was liberated from samsara by awakening, the delusion of ordinary beings is discussed in contrast to it. (There is a difference between humans with languages and other beings without them in relation to delusion.) Thus, the transformation of delusion into awakening becomes the objective of Buddhist practice. The contents and theories of it make the Buddhist history. In this view, Buddhisms restricted by areas and eras can be put into positions in its thought history. On the other hand, ordinary beings and the Buddha are positioned in the transformation of delusion into awakening, the clues to clarify their ontological, epistemological and value-oriented phases and thereby the standard of comparison among religions and thoughts become possible. For instance, the definitions, beliefs, etc. about the ontological relation or non-relation between animals, humans and God in Semitic religions, in Confucianism and Taoism, etc.

Organized panel, Japanese